Oliver Kern has curated a program that brings to life the full range of Beethoven’s piano works—spanning existential depth and radiant energy. Marking the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death, it offers a focused introduction to a remarkable commemorative year.
Four of the most significant piano sonatas form the framework of this special season opening. Each of these sonatas represents a decisive step in Beethoven’s musical development: from the dark melancholy of the »Pathétique,« in which he audibly breaks free from his teacher Haydn, to the visionary »Moonlight Sonata.« Franz Liszt aptly described its second movement as a »flower between two abysses.«
The program reveals a broad emotional arc—from the passionate »Appassionata,« which Beethoven himself counted among his most important works, to the radiant energy of the »Waldstein Sonata.« These works exemplify how Beethoven derives expressive power not only from melody, but from dynamics, rhythm, and articulation.
Two intermezzi by Johannes Brahms complement the program. In their concentrated, introspective language, they open up a different perspective on Beethoven’s legacy and connect the major sonatas into a cohesive whole.
Oliver Kern, whose playing has been described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as »subtle and precise, yet soulful and full of temperament,« approaches this repertoire with particular intensity. As the first German to win the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna, he is considered one of the leading interpreters of this repertoire. A prizewinner of the ARD Competition, he performs internationally at venues such as La Scala in Milan and the Vienna Musikverein, and currently serves as Professor of Piano at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
PERFORMERS
Oliver Kern piano
PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Piano in C minor, Op. 13 »Pathétique«
Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in B-flat minor, Op. 117/2
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Piano in F minor, Op. 57 »Appassionata«
- Interval -
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Piano in C-sharp minor, Op. 27/2 »Moonlight Sonata«
Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118/2
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Piano in C major, Op. 53 »Waldstein-Sonata«
